(685) Battlefield - Part 4

It’s with a certain amount of sadness that I watch today’s episode because it’s the last time that we see Nicholas Courtney in Doctor Who. It’s his 107^th episode and the original plan was to kill him off and I am glad that they didn’t because it would have totally killed the vibe of the story. This is the episode where the Doctor finally gives up the idea that he’s Merlin although he does do a cheeky in-joke note from himself.

Mordred uses the end my life line which is what the Doctor used in The Happiness Patrol. It seems to carry more wait when its directed towards the Doctor because we all know that he wouldn’t do it even if he had to. Morgaine’s willingness to see let Mordred be killed was a great thing for the character to do. It just made her seem more like a loathsome person but there is always something that reminds me that its Jean Marsh so I do find her loathsome at all.

There’s a great moment where Lethbridge-Stewart knocks the Doctor out to destroy the destroyer. It’s a nice little moment because it means he gets to be the military hero. The moment where the Doctor thinks that Lethbridge-Stewart is dead is a lovely moment before Lethbridge-Stewart reveals he is ok. There is something quite impressive about Lethbridge-Stewart being the one that destroys the destroyer.

The big finale scene comes with the Doctor stopping the nuclear bomb from being set off. It leads to a great scene which allows Sylvester McCoy and Jean Marsh to shine and fight over an umbrella. It’s another example as to why McCoy is an underrated Doctor. The Doctor talks Morgaine into stopping the nuclear bomb from being detonated. Morgaine reaction when she learns that Merlin is dead is superb and Marsh makes us feel sorry for her.

The final scene set at Lethbridge-Stewart’s house is a lovely one. Doris goes out ‘with the girls’ as she, Ace, Bambera and Shou Yuing go off in Bessie. It’s a men doing the house work and the women having fun thing which is quite amusing. This has been a rather entertaining episode and it’s memorable because of several outstanding performances. This is the first story for quite sometime that has gone up in my estimation. It’s still not a classic by any means but I think that it’s a stronger start to the twenty-sixth season that I thought.

On a separate note. The character of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart has been on our screens for close to thirty years. He is arguably one of the greatest character (apart from the Doctor of course) in the shows history. He has been an ally of the Doctor whilst keeping a militaristic point of view. It’s impossible to say that the character wouldn’t have lasted as long if it had been played by another actor but I don’t think that anyone else would have bought the charm to the role. It would have been nice to see Lethbridge-Stewart in New Who.

(684) Battlefield - Part 3

This is the episode where I think that it makes slightly more sense. I don’t quite know why but it felt more like a Doctor Who story than a Merlin story. It might have something to do with the fact there is less stuff about Merlin in it than normal. The beginning of this episode see the infamous moment with Sophie Aldred. It occurs when the glass cracks under the pressure of the water and as she is ‘ejected’ from the pod she is in fact being pulled out by members of the crew. It’s a rather worrying thought about what could have happened had Sylvester McCoy not told the crew to pull her out.

The sight of Ace coming out of the water with the sword is something that Aaronovitch must have thought of from the very beginning. It must have been quite hard to resist the temptation of having the Doctor appear with the sword. The first good thing that happens in this episode is how the snake thing is dealt with. I like that its Lethbridge-Stewart that saves the Doctor which isn’t the first time that’s happened. The first meeting of the two Brigadier’s is rather amusing though Bambera is the more active one. I suppose as she is the younger of the two, then it would make sense for her to be the one doing the shooting. Her comedy double act with Ancelyn is still quite amusing.

Morgaine does a wonderful job of being the strong threat that she is. I still think that Jean Marsh is fantastic. Firstly she stops a bullet and then grinds it into dust before killing Lavel and then resorting Elizabeth’s sight which is sending mixed signals in my opinion. If you want to come across as menacing then restoring someone’s sight isn’t the best thing to do. I think that the character Lavel was poorly served in this episode, she was quite good in the scenes with Lethbridge-Stewart so it seemed rather sad that she suffered such a disappointing death.

This episode marks the return of Bessie although I don’t think that this story really merited this. They even went to the trouble of changing the licence plate to WHO 7.

The best scene comes when the Doctor storms in between Ancelyn and Mordred. I don’t think that I have seen Sylvester McCoy’s Doctor be like this before. He has got close but never like this. It’s a great moment for McCoy. Despite nearly being killed, Sophie Aldred does a good job in this episode despite being asked to stand inside a chalk circle. I could still see Shou Yuing as a companion and that’s mainly due to her interaction with Ace.

The Destroyer is a very impressive creation. The mask is one of the finest that I can remember seeing in the show. I liked that we didn’t see it properly until the end because at first all we see is the silhouette and so the build up to what it looks like is done well. The revelation is a good cliffhanger and I am slowly starting to like this story much more than I use to.

(683) Battlefield - Part 2

After appearing to not get that he was Merlin in the previous episode, he is acting like its true in an attempt to fool Mordred. Later on there is an inscription in the ground which the Doctor says he put there. This is more implication that he has a secret identity. I don’t know whether I completely buy the whole idea that the Doctor could be Merlin. This is probably what is going to stop me from totally embracing the story. But as was shown in Remembrance of the Daleks, Ben Aaronovitch can write a good story so there is going to be enough on screen to maintain my interest.

Something that stood out from this episode is that it doesn’t waste anytime in getting going. It starts quickly and doesn’t really stop until the very end of the episode. Another thing that stood out to me is the humour that I don’t remember noticing in the past. There is a nice bit of comedy coming from Bambera and Ancelyn. This seems like Aaronvitch’s nod to Robert Holmes because this is an amusing double act.

Lethbridge-Stewart starts the episode in the helicopter and makes the oh so hilarious joke asking the pilot whether Bambera is a good chap. Lethbridge-Stewart does start the episode appearing to be an old fossil which isn’t how the Brigadier should be portrayed. Ok so I don’t expect him to be like he was during the Pertwee era but he should have been written better than this. I didn’t mention in yesterdays entry that it had been 80 episodes since Nicholas Courtney had last appeared in Doctor Who. After the helicopter has crashed, Lethbridge-Stewart encounters Morgaine and that is about all that he does in the episode. Morgaine (Jean Marsh) gets to become involved in the story and one of the first things she does is to shoot down Lethbridge-Stewart’s helicopter. She might not appear to be a nice person but there is one scene where she has a go at Mordred for dishonouring people. I found it amusing where Jean Marsh and Nicholas Courtney face each other because of course they played brother and sister in The Daleks Master Plan.

The Doctor and Ace find themselves underground and the sets used are very impressive because the lighting is rather low. They walk into a room where Arthur from another dimension and Ace pulls the sword out (sigh). This leads a weird snake like thing following them around the room. This story is somewhat infamous because of one scene where there is an accident that happens at the end of the episode where Ace walks into a tank and it is filling up with water (more on the accident in the next episode) but as a cliffhanger its rather good because there is no clear way of Ace being rescued because the Doctor is knocked out. I have commented on how I don’t like it when the regulars are put in peril because they are always going to be ok in the next episode but I think that this is a rather good cliffhanger and if I were watching in 1989 then I would have definelty tuned in for the next episode.

This has been a strong episode with the best thing being that Jean Marsh and Nicholas Courtney get into the story and more screentime. There are still things that I like about this story but I still think that things won’t go well for much longer. That pessimism isn’t a great as it was at the end of the previous review but it’s still there. As for ratings, this story is currently the fourth best McCoy story.

 

(682) Battlefield - Part 1

Battlefield marks the beginning of the final season in the classic era. The beginning of the end so to speak. If you’re a regular reader of my blog then you will know that I love stats and the gap between the twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth seasons is the shortest since the season fifteen and sixteen break. That’s 245 days if you’re interested. Back to the episode and this episode marks the final appearance of Nicholas Courtney in Doctor Who. No I am not counting the 1993 Dimension in Time special or the 2008 Sarah Jane Adventures story. The Brigadier was last seen in the twentieth anniversary special and has now left UNIT.

Battlefield is another story that I think has a bit of a bad reputation. I for one have had many problems with this story over the years. Only watching it because it’s the last Brigadier story. I think that one of the problems that I have is all the business with the Doctor being Merlin or the suggestion of such a thing. This episode also sees the final TARDIS scene in the classic era and it’s very dimly lit which is what makes the scene atmospheric. The Doctor is in less than a humorous mood at the beginning of this episode. This is confirmed with the line of “It has a graveyard stench is which he gives when he looks at the UNIT site. Sylvester McCoy has really become very good as delivering.

When the Brigadier realises that the Doctor is around, you can almost see the sparkle in his eye. It really doesn’t take long for him to get back into his uniform. There is a nice scene between him and Doris where she basically says that he cares more about playing soldier than the home they have. It’s weird seeing the Brigadier’s wife Doris. After years and years of her name been mentioned it’s nice to be able to put a face to the name.

It would be wrong of me not to mention the return of Jean Marsh who played Sara Kingdom in The Daleks Master Plan in 1965. We don’t see much of her sadly but I think she is such a good actress that even when she is just a face on a screen she can act just as good as everyone else. Angela Bruce has the unenviable task of playing the new Brigadier. Although she is sharing the role later on she is the one in charge and I think that she does a sound job in this episode. I like how she uses the word shame to clearly hide an expletive that couldn’t be used even when everyone is watching Corrie. Ling Tai plays Shou Yuing who for all intents a purposes seems to be a ready-made companion. She gets on well with Ace from the get go, has the same attitude and she has very good on screen presence.

The cliffhanger is quite good as it comes after an intriguing scene about the Doctor being thought of as Merlin.  Overall it’s a perfectly good opening episode. There is plenty to like but I get the feeling that things wont keep going well for long. Maybe that’s the pessimist in me but time will tell.

 

(602) The Five Doctors

When the Three Doctors aired to celebrate the shows 10^th anniversary, it was done quite well and it had one simple premise with the three Doctors and a few of the regular companions. Fast forward 10 years and the show has progressed a lot since then. This episode got its world premiere on American TV and formed part of the BBC’s Children in Need night. There are a couple of problems before the story even starts and that Tom Baker isn’t in it because I imagine that as he only left two years before that enough time hadn’t passed by. Also William Hartnell had died eight years before so they decided to recast him with someone who looked like him.

The ‘episode’ starts off with a brief clip from The Dalek Invasion of Earth with the William Hartnell speech that he gives to Susan. It is almost as if they are highlighting the fact that the person that is playing the First Doctor isn’t the real one. In fact Richard Hurndall is the first of the Doctor to be picked up. Richard Hurndall does a fairly good job in what must have been an impossible postion to be put in. He was never going to convince us that he was trying to do William Hartnell but he does enough to make me appreciate that they tried to get around a problem in the best intended way possible.

The scoop effect is rather poor and looks a bit lazy really. Hurdnall’s happens when he is walking in a garden. The one with the second Doctor and the Brigadier is better. I think the one used for the special edition is much better but that’s with the advancement of about 25 years’ worth of technology.

The return of the Brigadier seems a lot better than in Mawdryn Undead. I like how he gets to spend most of his time with Patrick Troughton’s Doctor. The Brigadier is perhaps more associated with the third Doctor, I like how they work together on screen and I am reminded of such stories as The Invasion and The Web of Fear. The brief appearance of Jamie and Zoe is quite nice even if Zoe is wearing a bubble dress. Their appearance is rumbled when the Doctor reminds us that Jamie and Zoe had their minds erased which is true.

This episode sees the return David Saville to Doctor Who after playing Carstairs in The War Games. It was more of a cameo and I do wonder whether they realised this when they put him in but it was fun for the fans to watch. The “You’ve had this place redecorated….Dont like it!” seems to have become a bit of a running joke because it pops up in the 50^th Anniversary special.

Jon Pertwee is doing his action bit from the moment that he appears on screen. He has missed a beat since he left the show 221 episodes ago. The opening scene between the third Doctor and the Master is quite good because the Doctor is still very distrusting and even though Pertwee had some great chemistry with Roger Delgado’s Master. It seems that things don’t change even if the actor does.The Third Doctor gets to slide along a rope to get to the tower. There is no way that the other Doctors would do. Pertwee is just brilliant in this story and he gives it the same enthusiasm as he did when he was the main man. The brief reunion of the Third Doctor, Mike Yates and Liz Shaw is a good one that is used to keep the Doctor from progressing in the chamber. Sadly its ended with Liz doing a rather odd deliver of ‘stop him’.

Elisabeth Sladen returns to the show with K9. This is where people get confused because they assume that they were both together during Sarah Jane’s time on the show but it was only in the 1981 K9 special and this story that this happened. The reunion of the Third Doctor and Sarah Jane is slightly undermined by the Doctor trying to pull Sarah Jane up small incline. My back garden is steeper than the one in this scene.

There are clips from the transmitted story Shada used to at least have Tom Baker appear in the 20^th Anniversary. A plausible point is used to explain why the Fourth Doctor isn’t used in the story.

The Master’s first scene is quite good as the idea of the Doctor being requested by the Timelords is something that would have been expected and then the Master is left perplexed when he is asked to help the Doctor. After a while he does look like he wish he hadn’t bothered when he gets knocked by two Doctors. His plan to work with the Cybermen is quite clever and its clear that things aren’t going well in this partnership. He is going to use the Cybermen to his own ends but its clear that whilst he’s smarter than the Cybermen he still hasn’t got the nack of thinking his long term plans through. Sadly after a punch from the Brigadier, he is left to have a bit of a kip of the floor.

It doesn’t seem like Susan has really grown up in the 19 years since she left the Doctor. She manages to twist her ankle running along and it seems like we are back in 1964. She is then reduced to being stuck in the TARDIS with Turlough and this is a problem with this story and that there are too many companions and not enough for them to do.

The brief appearance of the Dalek is a bit of a shame really when you consider that the show wouldn’t have got to the 20^th year without the Daleks so they deserve a better role in this story. The first appearance of the Cybermen is very atmospheric. They get a better deal in this story. There is one shot when they are approaching the Fifth Doctor and the Master and Peter Moffatt did a great job with this. The Raston Robot is a brilliant creation and one that is used to superb effect. It’s a simple creature and one that doesn’t do a lot yet manages to create a lot of carnage. It’s attack on the Cybermen is one of the best scenes in this story. This sequence only last about a minute but is incredibly violent for a Doctor Who story.

I like the idea that the story takes place on Gallifrey as it seems right to use this setting for the 20^th Anniversary of the show. The Timelords are an interesting if yet flawed race and it seems quite obvious that they would do a treachery style story for Gallifrey. There is a scene which is funny to me. “No not the mind probe” is a line that Paul Jericho delivers quite well and yet everytime I hear it I find it amusing.

I like how the Doctors seem to be on their own individual storylines that over the course of the story start merging into one. The Fifth Doctor (you thought I had forgotten about him didn’t you!) seems to have been given the role of trying to figure out who the traitor to Gallifrey is. The traitor turns out to be the President. He has done this to get immortality. He has clearly gone mad because he’s gone from wearing white to black. This is the most important plot strand so its not surprising really that he gets to do this but it’s a shame that he stuck for an awfully long time waiting before he figures out that there is a spare room.

The three Doctors don’t meet until 20 minutes before the end which is perhaps the right way of doing things. Whilst the Doctors are working together, its nice to see the Brigadier, Sarah Jane Smith and Tegan. The big scene takes place in the tomb of Rassilon and whoever removes a ring gets immortality. If I have learnt one thing from TV, its that immortality isn’t a great as it sounds. The President gets his chance at immortality thanks to the first Doctor speaking up him even though the others said the opposite. He ends up being part of the tomb which must be a horrible way to live.

The final line about running away in an run down TARDIS away from his own people being “How it started” is a nice way to end this adventure. I am a little confused as to how I feel about this because on the one hand it was a nice story but on the other hand there are way too many characters in the piece and as a result it slightly makes the end result a little bit odd. I think that there are some good things in it and the running time is one of them. They could have done four 25 minute episodes but the feature length running time allows the story to progress at a nice pace and Terrance Dicks did a great job of writing a story and Peter Moffatt did an equally great job in directing.

To end this review I would just like to point out that there is just one season of Peter Davison’s era left. That has gone quick although there is one or two stories that I must endure before I get to arguably one of the finest stories in Doctor Who history, The Caves of Androzani.

(591) Mawdryn Undead - Part 4

The final part of this story is by far the best one because it’s where the problems of the story are sort of forgotten because the main action takes my attention. This is where Mawdryn’s plan comes to fruition. Things start off in quite a fun way because Mawdryn allows the Doctor to leave in the TARDIS, its clear that this is a plan by Mawdryn to show the Doctor that he has no other choice than to help. This leads to a great couple of minutes where the Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and 1983 Brigadier are involved in quite a grim turn of events where Nyssa and Tegan become quite old and then moments later become young with Nyssa turning into Lucy Benjamin who appeared in Eastenders.

After a few minutes they are back and the Doctor reluctantly decides to help them. This is where the episode starts to build up to the moment but another thing that seems to take up a fair amount of time is trying to stop the two brigadiers from meeting. I still don’t see why this would be a problem because the Doctor seems to do it without too much trouble. I seemed to be more interested in this than I realised because I was happy when 1977 Brigadier threw back Turlough to burst into the main chamber. The effect of the two Brigadier’s touching hands isn’t quite as good as I would have liked because they could have had both Brigadier’s faces on screen at the same time. They did it with the two Peter Davison’s back in Arc of Infinity so it makes sense that they could have done it in this story.

This story picked up in the second half with episode three being much better than parts one and two. I don’t think that at the time appreciated just how well the idea of time travel was used. I think that despite Peter Grimwade’s best efforts, the plot holes distract from what is a good idea. As the beginning of a story arc its ok but the main thing about it being that Turlough is still trying to kill the Doctor is something that is going to strangle the next two stories. I don’t mind the introduction of Turlough because there is something quite fun to watch in Mark Strickson but I think that more effort could have been put into introducing the character instead of a rather inplusable idea of the Black Guardian killing the Doctor. Oh well as a Peter Grimwade story, its his best story but compared to Timeflight that’s not really a compliment.

(589) Mawdryn Undead - Part 2

With today being Christmas Day its fair to say that I am in the festive mood. I have just witnessed one of the best Doctor Who Christmas Specials for quite some time although people will probably have a go at it for being too scary or ridicule it because they had Steven Moffat. Yule have to wait until August 2^nd before I go into more detail with that. Back to today’s episode and despite my festive cheer, I still have some issues with this story and it’s annoying because it’s mixed in with some good stuff.

The reprise is ended with an explosion thus preventing Turlough from bashing in the Doctor’s head. I liked how this was dealt with which didn’t make either person look weak or silly. Sadly the problems soon appear because as I have commented before, Grimwade is a better director than a writer and so for some reason has a problem with making a story work because the story splinters into two times. The Doctor encounters the Brigadier in 1983 (more about the Brig in a moment) and Tegan and Nyssa end up in 1977 during the Queen’s Silver Jubilee. I say and Nyssa but in reality its just Tegan because yet again Nyssa is banished in the TARDIS and only get a few metres away from the TARDIS.

At one stage, Nyssa and Tegan discover a burnt body that they assume is the Doctor. Ignoring the fact that the burnt figure isn’t wearing the same clothes as the Doctor. Getting the viewer to assume that this is the Doctor is Peter Grimwade asking an awful lot of us and I am not really prepared to do this. As a result of this the whole section with Tegan, Nyssa and the burnt figure is not very good. Thankfully things are much better in 1983 (the year I was born, in fact five days after I was born). This side of the story is better because it is where the story is explained and its wear it feels like things are progressing. Also its got Nicholas Courtney who is always watchable. I love the flashback montage that is used and shows several stories that he has featured in. It does create a problem in terms of continuity but I think that in the reckless 1980’s these sort of things weren’t considered.

Considering that this is where Turlough is suppose to kill the Doctor, its surprising that Turlough doesn’t feature too much in the episode. I may remember it wrong but I think he doesn’t feature too much. He does get one quite memorable moment when he thinks he is confessing his story to the Headmaster but the Headmaster (played brilliantly by Angus Mackay) turns into the Black Guardian. Valentine Dyall is superb in every scene he is in because his voice is so low and gravelly that it just suits the role perfectly.

The ending is good but silly in one go. The burnt figure has regenerated to the point that he is almost better but I am distracted by the bowl of spaghetti that is sitting on top of his head. It’s a shame that this is yet another problem with the story and I think that the festive spirit is preventing me from being harsher on it. Don’t get me wrong, this story has problems with it that cant be defeneded but I would be lying if I said that I hated this story. Even in the misery of the new year I would be hard pressed to rate this poorly. With two more episodes I am willing to sit through the weak stuff to get two more episodes with not one but two Brigs.

Last of all, Merry Christmas and Merry Christmas to all of you at home!

(588) Mawdryn Undead - Part 1

T’was the night before Christmas and if you have been following this marathon then you will probably have noticed that this is the same gag that I made last year. This is my second (and final) Christmas doing the marathon and this time last year I was watching episode four of ‘The Invasion’ which is quite fitting because this story sees the return of Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart who last appeared 182 episodes ago in the final episode of ‘Terror of the Zygons’ which I watched back in June. This episode also sees the Black Guardian return. We last saw him in ‘The Armageddon Factor’ back in season 16.

Perhaps the big selling point about this story is that it features the character of Turlough. This is where the problems begin because this serial is the first in a trilogy of adventures and the whole idea is that the Black Guardian wants Turlough to kill the Doctor but if its such an important job then the explanation that the Guardian gives isn’t the most convincing. Another problem is that Turlough isn’t particularly likeable. From the moment he appears on screen he comes across as rather arrogant person who will tell one person something and then the complete opposite to someone else, all in the name of covering his backside. The third problem is how the Doctor, Nyssa and Tegan treat Turlough like he’s been around for ages. There is no real questioning which goes on and that’s an odd thing in my opinion.

The first appearance of the Brigadier is a rather understated one. There is no real fanfare given to one the most popular characters in Doctor Who ever. He seems to have got quite bitter and harsh since he left UNIT. I say this because at no point during him time as a regular on the show did the Brigadier ever refer to someone as ‘disgusting’ which is what he does when talking to Ibbetson.

You may have noticed that I have got to this stage and not mentioned the actual story itself well there is a reason for that and that is because there isn’t a great deal that goes on. The Doctor, Nyssa and Tegan spend a lot of time in the TARDIS and then end up on a weird looking ship which doesn’t have anybody on it and that’s about it. The Doctor ends back on earth with his new friend and the episode ends with Turlough about to bash the Doctor’s head in.

This is a Peter Grimwade story and he is clearly a better director than writer and whilst this is at the moment a better offering than Time-Flight but he is still better at directing a story. The cliffhanger is a good one and I am enclined to say that this is a good opening episode. It’s far better and more entertaining than ‘Snakedance’ but time will only tell if the rest of the story works in the same way. At least Nyssa’s costume is better than the previous one.

Terror of the Zygons - Episode 4

This is the final episode where Ian Marter appears as a regular and is the end of the regular appearance of UNIT. It is also the final appearance of Nicholas Courtney for a good number of years so it is the end of an era which is quite a sad moment. The episode starts of with the ship going off into the distance. There is a line about the spaceship last seen over Leicester but then they lost it. How exactly do you lose a massive ship like that. It’s a bit like in the 1998 version of Godzilla when it just disappears. Speaking of the ship I thought that the false perspective of the ship was a very good shot and I wouldn’t have noticed if it hadn’t been for the information text on the DVD. The model blowing up was another nice touch and it blowing up was another good blown up model.

The Prime Minister is mentioned and the Brigadier uses the term madam. This story was made four years before we got a female prime minister and so this just goes to show how ahead of the game the show was. Depending on your political views this was a nice moment or not.

I like it when we see the real versions of the caber, the duke and sister lamont. It shows that they are quite nice people and it. Sadly by the time we get to meet the nice versions they are written out of the show as the action moves away. I still think that Sister Lamont was the best of the supporting characters with the Duke being a very close second.

It’s good that it seems like the story is over when the Zygon ship is blown up but then the action moves to London at alarming speed when the Broton Zygon and the Skaran is about to attack the conference. It’s dealt with quite quickly with Broton shot by the Brigadier and the Skaran is left to go back to the loch.

The final scene is quite a nice one with the Doctor and Sarah going off leaving Harry and the Brigadier. Harry’s final line is about sticking to intercity isn’t the best departing line for a companion but it pretty much sums him up. The idea that Sarah only agrees to with him so that they could go to London seems like the wrong thing to say because it was obvious that she would really want to go with the Doctor anywhere so its no surprise that they don’t make it to London.

The line that the Duke gives to the Brigadier about being a Scotsman is a stereotypical line implying that scots are tight which I thought was probably intended as a joke but just comes across in todays world as a bit of a shame really but that said its hard to find any fault with this story because its been written well and a good start to the thirteenth season of Doctor Who. Now its just the Doctor and Sarah for the rest of the season and now that Harry is out it means that what I consider the golden era of the show can really get started. I’m sorry to say this about Harry and Ian Marter but I think that this character was a victim of circumstances and Ian Marter did the best he could.

Terror of the Zygons - Episode 3

The penultimate episode of this story is one where thing need to be introduced to keep the interest going because after the initial reaction to the Zygons has past, the story needs to have something else to keep the interest going. The reprise was of the Doctor being chased by the Loch Ness monster which as we all know is being controlled by the Zygon. Whereas the shots with the Doctor and the Loch Ness looked good the thing is that they never actually mix. In the reprise it does and it’s a shame to say that they don’t work quite so well.

The action moves to Forgill Castle which despite the rather lacklustre model/photo, the castle set looks very impressive. Every scene that takes place in the castle set is interesting and I wished that there were more because you could spend ages looking at various bits of it.

The effect of changing Sister Lamont to the Zygon is another good effect. I still think that Sister Lamont is one of the funniest characters in the serial. Not funny because it’s a poor character but funny because it seems like she’s escaped from an insane asylum or maybe she’s auditioning for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The final good effect is that of the Zygon ship rising from the bottom of the sea. It’s a good model shot and works well. Even when it’s coming out of the sea, it still is an impressive sight.

The sister waking the rock on the back of the head on a soldier is quite a shocking for family viewing. This is definelty not something that Barry Letts would have done and that’s not me saying it was something wrong but it’s clear that the show is being run differently. On the downside the bit where Sarah walking into the secret lair of the Zygons was a tad bit predictable and typical of what the female companion would be doing in future Doctor Who stories. It was redeemed slightly a few moments later though. I love the scene where Sarah is trying to tell if Harry is the real Harry and it’s only by him saying “old girl” that she decides that he is the real one.

The cliffhanger is rather disappointing considering how good the effect of the ship rising is. I think that it certainly lacks the drama of the first episode cliffhanger. Despite this rather damp squib to the episode, I think that the story is still a strong one with a very good creature and some very good pieces of casting. I am enjoying the fact that this feels like a different era of the show and not a Pertwee story with a different actor playing the role.

Terror of the Zygons - Episode 2

The first Zygon adventure continues with as much intrigue and darkness as the first. After the very good cliffhanger the story continues very quickly and before there is time to brief and settle down the Doctor is stood by the Sister. Sarah has disappeared and Sister Lamont is fantastically cold when she is talking to the Doctor. The bit where the Doctor and Sarah have been trapped in the decompression chamber is great because the Doctor puts Sarah into a hypnosis and does the same to himself.

I still don’t think that Tom Baker’s Doctor is suited to dealing with UNIT. In his brief scene with Benton it just doesn’t quite work and I think that it worked much better when it was Jon Pertwee. It’s perhaps the wisest thing that they have decided to pretty much do away with the UNIT stories because with a new Doctor should come a new direction for the show and UNIT was very much a product of the Pertwee era and worked for him but definitely doesn’t work for Baker.

Most of the Zygon mask/headgear does look quite good but it’s the mouth area that it looks a bit ropey. I think that it suffers from the same problem that the Vogans had in the previous story but that’s the only problem with the Zygon costume. From head to toe they look gruesome and they look rather effective. There is a nice shot where we see the real Sister Lamont and the real ‘caber’ and it leads to a good CSO where a Zygon.

I like this episode beause we get to see evil Harry. Of course its not the real Harry but a Zygon duplicate. When he comes in it turns into a nice little action sequence which seemed very much out of the Pertwee era. There’s a great shot of Harry’s eyes starring at the screen which is very similar to Capaldi’s stare in the 50^th Anniversary special. It’s quite a shocking moment when Zygon Harry goes for Sarah with a pitchfork, misses and then gets impaled on it. There is another big sequence which comes when the Doctor is trying to hide from the big creature. Whilst Tom Baker is good and some of the shots of the creature are good, its not a particularly great cliffhanger compared to the previous one. It’s still a solid episode with some great moments but it’s the ending that lets it down. It’s a shame but the opening story to the thirteenth season is one that has lots to enjoy and very little to knock.

Terror of the Zygons - Episode 1

The start of the thirteenth series starts just 112 days after the final episode of ‘Revenge of the Cybermen’. Normally I wouldn’t comment on this but its another stat that I can use and it’s the shortest gap since between the fifth and sixth seasons which were only 70 days apart. The shortest gaps were 49 days during seasons 1 & 2 and 2 & 3. The longest was 203 days between Jon Pertwee’s last season and Tom Baker’s first. Another fact is that this is the 80^th Doctor Who story. Anyway enough stats for today and the opening story of the season sees the introduction of an underused creation. This is one of the Tom Baker stories that I have seen the least for some strange reason.

The opening scene of this episode reminds me of the opening of ‘The Sea Devils’. This is the season when Philip Hinchcliffe put his stamp on the show and its clear that the show has progressed a little bit since the last season. Tom Baker seems more confident in the role and it seems Elisabeth Sladen is adjusting to Tom as the leading man. This is her 47^th episode overtaking Peter Purves and becomes the seventh longest serving companion. There that is the last stat of the review.

The Brigadier has some devise that can effectively recall the Doctor and whilst it’s a good idea, this is the only time that its used and seems like a plausible plot device to get the Doctor back to earth. Quite why the TARDIS couldn’t make it closer to where the Brigadier was is a bit of a mystery. It’s been an awfully long time since we last saw the interior of the TARDIS. In fact I think that it was during ‘Death to the Daleks’ that we last had a scene inside the TARDIS and that was over a year since this episode was broadcast. I best people were forgetting what it looked like.

This is the final story for Harry who has been rather under used since he first joined the show. He’s more use in this episode than he was for most of the previous season. However about the halfway point he get’s shot at. When he wakes up that is when his usefulness becomes important and what he heard that bloke say was what led to the cliffhanger. Not many times that Harry has been anywhere near the cliffhanger.

This story features John Woodnutt playing the Duke of Forgill who had previously appeared in ‘Spearhead from Space’ and under a Draconian mask in ‘Frontier in Space’. Like his previous two appearances, he instantly becomes an interesting character. Another fun character from the moment she appears on screen is that of Sister Lamont played by Lillias Walker. I cant let this review go by without mentioning Angus who comes across as a bit weird because he think’s that he has second sight but there is something quite charming about the performance that really sticks in the mind. It’s good to have the Brigadier back, even if its just to be mocked by the Doctor and Sarah.

Even though the title has Zygons in it, we don’t see a great deal of them. Just the eyes and hand of one until the cliffhanger when it is about to get very close to Sarah. It’s a great cliffhanger to what has been a very solid episode. I cant really find fault with it and the best thing is that as its Harry’s final story as a companion, he’s given something substantial to do and I will probably mention that a couple of time over the next three episodes but its perhaps the most interesting part of the story.

Robot - Episode 4

This is the final episode of this story which isn’t really a fourth Doctor Adventure. A stat for you to think about and that is this is the 128^th and last episode to be produced by Barry Letts. Letts’ first episode was episode one of Doctor Who and the Silurians and its no exaggeration that he was one of if not the person responsible for saving Doctor Who and ensuring that he leaves Doctor Who in a better shape that when he found it. It’s just a shame that his final story is nowhere near as good as his first. That said it’s time to focus on this episode and there were some serious problem with the episode and that were some of the rather cheap and rubbish things shown on screen such as the toy tank placed right in front of the screen to imply that it was a big tank.

There is a line where Miss Winters says that Harry and Sarah will have to be “disposed of”. Quite an odd choice of words, surely kill would have carried off more dramatic weight that disposed of. I think that Winters takes much less of an important part in the story in this episode as the robot takes the centre stage. Jellicoe does have a brief moment where he develops a spine but sadly it comes too late.

Kettlewell has a sudden change of mind which seems to come at a very odd moment. It happens just before he is killed by the robot in what has to be the campest death on Doctor Who so far. This leads to a major development as far as the robot is concerned because by killing Kettlewell it decides that its going to take his friendship with Sarah to the next level (whatever the robotic version of that is) and reset the countdown. He decides to restart it at 300 instead of the more logical idea of 002 which it was when the Doctor stopped it.

I like the moment with Benton and the Brigadier when they think that they have defeated the robot before it grows to the size of King Kong. Speaking of King Kong there has been this theme running through the last few episodes and the effect used is rather disappointing because whilst it initially might be a good idea to have a massive robot but its let down by the doll used to replace Sarah. There is something that seems a tad bit excessive. After the robot puts Sarah on top of the building, the UNIT soldiers decide to throw grenades and rockets at the thing not thinking about whether they damage the building or somehow kill Sarah. A bit reckless in my opinion. The scenes where the giant robot is quite well realised and there was the one shot where it squashes a UNIT soldier and it was surprisingly well done considering the budget of this show.

It’s quite interesting how the robot had affected Sarah. I think this is the moment where the feminine journalist is written out of the show and the more traditional companion takes centre stage. The final scene is quite nice because it shows how good the Doctor and Sarah will become. The inclusion of Harry Sullivan at the end did feel like it was added on at the last minute. The episode was a breathe of fresh air after the rather flimsy middle two episodes. I think that the rest of the season is going to be stronger because Philip Hinchcliffe is now in control and what the so-called gothic era starts to begin in the next episode and I am looking forward to this portion of the show. Robot is a goodbye to a portion of the show’s history that served a purpose at the time and suited Pertwee’s Doctor but with a new Doctor and a new actor that style isn’t going to do anyone any favours and one thing is for sure and that is the show is going in a new direction and the show goes up another level.

Robot - Episode 3

This episode is the one where the King Kong theme starts to take shape. Sarah Jane stops the robot from killing the Doctor. It seemed like a longer version of the cliffhanger than in previous cliffhangers.

The bit where the robot was escaping from the UNIT soldiers is a terrible part and that’s due to the fact that the robot moves so badly that it becomes laughable. Another laughable moment is when Jellicoe is helping Michael Kilgarriff (who is inside the costume) down the stairs in what is the slowest escape ever recorded on video. There is a silly bit where a toy tank appears in front of the camera to give the impression that its

Kettlewell just happens to be a member of the SRS and still has his membership. I love how he seems like a nice moment until the Doctor sheds light on his true intentions. I think that his hair is getting out of control and every time he is on screen I am drawn to his hair and not necessarily to his performance.

There is a moment when the Doctor talks about what would happen if the nuclear arms were released and the look on his face at the end of his speech is a great look and very much the look we would get in later stories. Another famous trait from Tom Baker is when he stands in front of the SRS group and acts like a bumbling clown

There is a scene where Miss Winters is talking to the SRS group and she gives a passionate speech. She is arguably the best thing in this story and puts some energy in the story because otherwise it would just be a pedestrian story with a new Doctor and that’s a weird thing to have in

I still think that its weird that Tom Baker is driving Bessie.

The action moves to the underground bunker in the latter stages of the episode and this is a good setting for this series. This is where I think that the story is making some strides towards a conclusion. I don’t know if its being low down but Winters’ madness seems to escalate and become more like a Bond villain.

The cliffhanger is a disappointing because it is just the robot appearing from the bunker and that’s it. I liked the previous cliffhanger because there was some drama to it but on this occasion here is the opposite. The more that I watch this story the more that I think that this is a Jon Pertwee story left over and that’s made even more plain by the information in the info text on the DVD saying that even though this was the first story in season twelve, it was actually filmed during season eleven which is why it doesn’t have the vibe of future stories. Oh well only one more episode of the Barry Letts era of Doctor Who to watch. Robot isn’t a terrible story but it doesn’t quite have the impact that other new Doctor stories should have.

Robot - Episode 2

After the up in the air style of the opening episode, it’s time to get involved into the main plot. Due to the reveal at the end of the previous episode we don’t have to have any secretive POV shots. I liked it when Sarah decides she wants to see the new robot after Winter’s tries to scare her. It’s the beginning of a good episode for Sarah Jane who forms an emotional bond with the robot. It’s very much like King Kong. It’s rare to have two strong female characters.

There is a good CSO shot when the robot comes through the wall of the MP’s house. That’s a rare example of CSO working and benefiting the story. The idea of this robot being used by Winters makes more sense in this episode though it’s hard to believe that in the previous episode that it could dig its way out of something due to the fact that its mobility is somewhat restrictive.

Kettlewell created the robot and there is a lovely scene where he’s talking to it and it’s like a father and son talking which is a weird thing to introduce into this show. I still think that the character of Kettlewell is a very interesting character and is played very well by Edward Burnham. Whilst Kettlewell is very good in this episode the same can’t be said for the Doctor’s new companion. Harry’s only purpose in the episode is to pretend to be some civil servant that goes to Think Tank. Even Winter’s thinks that it’s a bit odd. The problems with the character of Harry are already showing themselves in this episode.

Scientific Reform Society (SRS) is mentioned in this episode and they are considered to be a small but seemingly popular group (cant think that would happen today). After a short but good scene, we are left in no state of confusion that there is something about SRS that is important.

There is a shot of the Doctor driving Bessie which is very odd indeed and I think only happens in this serial. Bessie should have been only used by Pertwee because it was his car and he didn’t use it during his last season. Tom Baker discards it after this serial and so I don’t quite know why they bothered with it.

The cliffhanger is rather good with the new Doctor being put in danger. I don’t really like this but I think that because the Doctor is still new, there is a question as to just how he is going to get out of this particular situation. It’s a relatively good episode but it does feel like a Jon Pertwee story and so its hard to imagine that this will be in my top 10 of Tom Baker stories come the end of this era of the show.

Robot - Episode 1

Today is a moment that I have been looking forward to since I started this marathon. I am now in the Tom Baker era of the show and this is where we I am going to experience every different type of story that the show can provide. The show that I watch now is very different to the one that I watched on January 24 because for a starter there was a complete freshness to the show. It was filmed on colour, it had a new producer, a new doctor and also just felt like someone had injected with a whole load of vitamins. This time the only thing that has really changed is that there is a new leading man and the script editor has changed from Terrance Dicks to Robert Holmes. This is Barry Letts’ last story as producer with Philip Hinchcliffe waiting in the wings. So after the drama of ‘Planet of the Spiders’, it seems that the show has decided to take a gentler pace with former script editor Terrance Dicks writing this serial.

The initial post-regeneration scene is typical of what Baker’s Doctor would be like. There is a load of ramblings first but after a few minutes the Doctor seems to have got to grips which his new look and getting down to business. I don’t know why but I was quite pleased when the Doctor recognised the Brigadier and Sarah Jane. There is the now customary scene about the Doctor’s new garb.

Tom Baker gives a good performance in this episode and whilst it might take a while to get use to how he performs, I think that its good he goes for something that is completely different to Jon Pertwee. Elisabeth Sladen and Nicholas Courtney do a good job in helping the viewer feel like this is Doctor Who whilst Baker gets a handle on the role. Sarah is back to her journalistic day job though her clothing is somewhat different to what she wore back in ‘The Time Warior’. This is the first appearance of Harry Sullivan played by the late great Ian Marter. Sarah Jane mentions that Harry is a bit old fashioned and whilst that may be true it is quite a good thing because Marter gives a rather charming performance.

The threat of the story is one of those things that looked great on paper but sadly doesn’t work so well on TV. At first we see the just the POV shot and then we just see its ‘hands’, it isn’t until the end of the episode that we see the top half of it and I don’t know whether its my 21^st century attitude but I just don’t think that it’s a very good robot. I’m sorry to say that but it might be good at breaking into things and killing Dalek operators but apart from that it doesn’t carry quite the weight that it should.

Most (if not all) of the location is filmed at BBC Wood Norton which was where some of ‘Spearhead From Space’ was recorded and there is one particular scene where Sarah is climbing over a wall which was used in ‘Spearhead from Space’ and everytime I see it I cant help but think of that story.

I like the initial scene between Miss Winters and Sarah Jane because Sarah thinks the Jellicoe is the director and Miss Winters says she wouldn’t have expected chauvinism from Sarah. This is particularly interesting because you could hardly call Sarah chauvinistic. I think that Patricia Maynard is very good as Miss Winters and comes across as someone with less that honourable intentions and the fact that the villain is a woman is something that is a rare thing in Doctor Who and its done rather well. Alec Linstead as her deputy Jellicoe does well in supporting the character. Kettelwell has the maddest hair ever seen on television and the way that he’s introduced is rather fun because he is someone who works at the Think tank and left to pursue other interests and so the first time that we get to meet him he comes across as some nice if cranky old man. I think that Edward Burnham gives a good performance in this episode.

The cliffhanger is quite a good one but that is just because I am comparing it to the rather odd ones that I have seen at the end of ‘Planet of the Spiders’. I think that considering it spends the first 10 or so minutes with Tom Baker, the episode does get quite a lot done and yet it doesn’t feel like it is being rushed or that we are missing out on anything. I think that the Tom Baker era of the show has kicked off in a good if somewhat subdued manner and I think that this was the best story to introduce the viewers to a new Doctor with.

 

Planet of the Spiders - Episode 6

So this is it, after 128 Jon Pertwee bows out of the show which very nearly could have ended after his first season. The show has gone under a tremendous transformation over the past four seasons and whilst this season hasn’t been the finest, one thing for sure is that it’s going to end on the sort of high note that Pertwee deserves. I don’t know why but it feels like the cliffhanger goes on for even longer than in previous episodes. The stuff where Lupton’s goons are shooting at Tommy appears at the five minutes mark.

The shot of Sarah Jane shooting the Doctor and him reacting is one of the most played clips from the 3^rd Doctor’s era. Elisabeth Sladen doesn’t really have much of a purpose in this episode and that is because it is all about Jon Pertwee and what involvement she does have in the episode is strong and she has done really well in her first season on the show. Due to the nature of the episode, Lupton doesn’t have quite the impact that he had in previous episodes which is a shame because I really have liked the character.

The fact that the Doctor never really shares a scene with the Great One would normally be one that causes some annoyance to me but I think that due to Pertwee’s performance and the awesome sight of the Great One model, it works really well and is the epic final scene that the story deserved. Had Roger Delgado not being killed then the Master would have featured in this story and I would like to think that there would have been an equally great scene. As it is, the final scene ends with the Great One falling victim to her own plan and it is perhaps the best way for this part of the story to end.

The final scene is lovely and its odd that it starts quite slowly with the Brigadier and Sarah Jane talking about if the Doctor would come back. When the Doctor does return he instantly falls to the floor and utters these words “While there life theres….”. I like this scene not only because it’s so sombre and well acted by everyone but that it involves those that it features the Brigadier who was in Pertwee’s first episode and it does feel like a goodbye between two friends.

This episode marks the final appearance of Mike Yates and I think that he has been really good in this season and in particular ‘Invasion of the Dinosaurs’. This serial was more of a redemption that anything else and it was a good story for him and Richard Franklin has been one of the unsung heroes of the UNIT family and whilst Benton takes a lot of the glory due to his goofyness, Franklin has done some good stuff during his time on the show.

The actual regeneration is rather ordinary and I couldn’t help but notice that when Tom Baker finally makes his appearance, that he looks a lot like Tom Jones. I don’t know who or whether that was what they were intending (doubt that very much) but I think that considering Jon Pertwee’s involvement and contribution to the show seems like a bit of an anti-climax. One thing is for sure, whilst we have been witness to some truly classic moments in Doctor Who we are about to enter a whole load of more iconic moments and this week it was revealed that Tom Baker was voted the favourite Doctor from the first 50 years of Doctor Who and I am about to find out why. As much as I have enjoyed the Pertwee era I must say that I am looking forward to the Tom Baker era.

Planet of the Spiders - Episode 2

The journey to the end of the Pertwee era takes a more gentile pace in this episode than perhaps the last one or any that we have had recently. It doesn’t take long for the spider prop to look more than just a prop. The spider talks to Lupton must have been a surprise to viewers at the time and I always find the bit when it jumps on Lupton’s back very creepy and it always makes me shudder. The effect of it jumping is actually quite good and they have got around how silly it might look by making it disappear.

We find out the reason as to why the spider has come to earth and it’s to do with the blue crystal that the Doctor gave to Jo and she gave back. It’s good that the two plot strands seem to be joining up. The voice of the spider isn’t quite what I was expecting. I can’t figure out whether I like it or not but one thing is for sure is that at least they’ve made an attempt to make it sound less human. Lupton gets better in this episode as his villainy takes shape and this is largely down to the spider. On the downside he looks a bit silly when he sticks his hand out so that the blue spark effect can be used. The main problem with Lupton being involved in the chase sequence is that he looks like he could run about 100 yards before having to take a breather whereas Pertwee looks the peak of physical fitness and looks like he could easily catch him

It takes about ten minutes for Sarah Jane and the Doctor to meet and it’s good that their plot strands meet up. When they reunite they have a fun scene where Sarah Jane is talking about her experiences and the Doctor is blatantly not listening. The Brigadier is on the phone to Harry Sullivan who will appear in a few episodes time. I like to think that this is the production team getting ready for a smooth transition.

The second half of this episode is basically one long action chase sequence. It lasts 11 minutes and involves Bessie, a gyroplane, the whomobile and hover cars. This was clearly designed to indulge Pertwee and whilst I have no objection to him being indulged, I think that it goes on just a bit too long. The moment when I knew that it had gone on for too long was when the Whomobile goes into the air and is flying. The CSO shot doesn’t quite work but its not the worst that there has been

This is essentially two episodes in one because the first half sees the plot developed somewhat and then the second half is just a homage to Bond films and I sort of wanted less Bond and more Doctor Who. It does feel also like Sloman was trying to pad the story.

I thought that the cliffhanger was rather good and it was one that no one could have seen coming and that is perhaps the best way to have ended the episode. Thinkabout it when was the last time the episode ended with the Doctor on a powerboat? Never and that’s because William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton rarely left the studio and even then it was never to do the sort of things that occur in the final 10 minutes of the episode. I think that the ‘silliness’ will end in the next episode and we can get back to the story.

Planet of the Spiders - Episode 1

The final Jon Pertwee story has arrived and I am going to make this joke many times over the next five episodes when I say that the moment has been prepared for. Hey if you have been following this since the early days then you will know I did this during the previous two regeneration stories. I am going to say straight from the beginning that I don’t like spiders. I seriously don’t and I hate it when people say “oh but they eat flies!” like that’s a perfectly fine excuse. I would quite happily wipe every single spider off the face of the earth. So with potential sitting on the fence issue dealt with, I start to watch Jon Pertwee’s 123^rd episode as the Doctor.

This episode sees the return of Richard Franklin who last we saw of him was allowed to leave UNIT quietly. So quietly we didn’t see him leave and so his return was much appreciated. He seems to have found himself at some retreat where a lot of people meditating in the basement. It takes just over four minutes for a spider to feature when Yates walks into a spiders web. It’s good that they go to the trouble of reminding the viewer of what happened to him and why he has ended up in the retreat. The scene where Yates is talking to Sarah Jane ends up with them swerving off the road avoiding a tractor that appeared from no-where and disappeared instantly.

The Doctor and Brigadier seem to have been watching some talent show. It’s a weird way to start the episode for these two which considering its Pertwee’s last story lacks the impactful start that I would have expected. It was all to introduce Professor Clegg (played by Cyril Shaps) who goes from being a proper clairvoyant and then pretends to be a fraud before being shown as the real deal but doesn’t actually want the ability.

I love it how Lupton would have accepted a journalist coming to the retreat but a female journalist is one step too far. The Master was due to feature in this story but with the death of Roger Delgado meant that Lupton was introduced and from the very moment he appears he seems like there is more to him that the meditation.

Tommy (played by John Kane) is introduced as a simple yet strong person. By the end of his first scene he is holding a squashed flower and looks over it like someone looking over a dead loved one. When he pops up again alongside Sarah Jane and Yates, I found him to be slightly annoying because he seems to be holding the story up and even though its only for a moment, its long enough to bother me.

The Doctor’s journey in this episode isn’t quite what I was expecting because he doesn’t really seem to be involved in the story and even towards the end the involvement with what is going on with Sarah Jane and Yates doesn’t seem very clear. The wedding present that the Doctor gave Jo in ‘The Green Death’ makes a return and it’s the first time that an ex-companion had an involvement in the story. Even though she doesn’t appear on screen her involvement does have detrimental effects on the Doctor and the show.

The ending is very simple yet effective because it’s the titular spider (not including the one Yates bumps into at the beginning of the episode). There are issues with the spiders that will be mentioned in future episodes but as a cliffhanger it’s a good one and the opening episode is very calm and all the building blocks seem to have been put in place. I suspect the story will pick up once the Doctor and Sarah Jane start to interact but I think that that this a promising start to Pertwee’s departing story.

Invasion of the Dinosaurs - Episode 6

Day 365 sees the final episode of this story that isn’t as clear cut as many people would suggest in terms of quality. Yes the episode doesn’t start off in the best way due to the fact that there is the darn T-Rex. The Doctor is doing his best to look scared against something that would win 2^nd prize at a kids making competition. It’s made worse by the fight between the T-Rex and whatever it was fighting. The fight was very poor and had no entertaining value to it whatsoever. Whereas we didn’t get very much dinosaur action in the previous episode, we got more than our fair share here.

I like how the Brigadier comes in to save the Doctor just as General Finch is about to collar him. The Brigadier really does show his loyalty to the Doctor in this story and also Benton does as towards the end of the episode, he gets to have a scrap with General Finch and I love how he apologises to Finch, totally Benton. Yates pulling a gun on the Doctor, Benton and the Brigadier is one of the most unexpected turns in the show. Even when he’s telling them on the plan he has a look of someone who believes he’s doing the right thing.

Normally I wouldn’t talk too much about actors that are recurring but not what I would class as supporting actors. Bryson is a character that has a great look on his face when asked to make a cup of tea. His usefulness is made even greater when he distracts Yates. I think it’s a shame that Yates gets sidelined again after this moment. When the episode ends there is a brief mention about what is going to happen to him but that’s it.

The only aspect of this episode that is somewhat frustrating is the bit with Sarah Jane trying to convince Adam and the others. If Sarah Jane could escape without causing harm to the others why wouldn’t they let her do what she did in the previous episode? Thankfully Adam is the one that sees sense and leads the revolt against Grover. When they do realise it does lead to a good final scene with Whittaker and Grover. Grover goes to a lot of trouble to convince the Adam and Ruth that all is well but it does seem like a last ditch attempt and its doesn’t feel like it has much heart in its execution which is why it doesn’t last long. The effect where the Doctor is trying to reverse the time effects is done rather well and it is one of the better effects that are used in this story.

It’s good that Grover and Whittaker end up sending themselves back to where the dinosaurs were coming from (with a little help from the Doctor). It’s good that the Doctor didn’t have a direct involvement in this but Grover and Whitaker were hoisted by their own petard.

I think that whilst this story has a fantastic premise but it totally let down by the models. There are many ways that they could have got around the dodgy dinosaurs so this story is known as the one with the dodgy dinosaurs but if you put that to one side then what we have is a great story that has some very impressive performances especially from Richard Franklin and Malcolm Hulke and Paddy Russell deserve credit for coming up with this story and making it work as well as it did on screen.